After the Battle Eclipse
by CullenLove002
Summary: I dunno why, but this has always been one of my favorite parts, and I just wanted to write it from Edward's POV. Very short, all characters and story belong to the fantastical Stephenie Meyer.


I gathered the smaller chunks of stone flesh as Seth reached the larger ones. Throwing them into a pile, I brushed pine needles and leaves into the bunch.

"Get every piece," I reminded Seth carelessly.

Seth scooped up a torso, Riley's, and tossed it mechanically into the heap. I walked into a wider range, taking the small pieces of the animal that was Victoria, and throwing them long distance into the stack.

Bella's staggered breathing was coming from the corner of the rock wall, her heart beating furiously. She must be so frightened. What I would have given for her to have not seen that…

Once I was sure that every piece was collected, I flipped out the lighter I had brought, and held the orange flame close to the dry brush, watching it alight and spread, forever ceasing the threat against the girl I loved.

Purple smoke began to rise, and a stench filled the air. I turned to the sandy wolf and extended a fist. "Nice teamwork," I said smiling slightly. Seth bumped my fist with his enormous nose, and barked a short laugh.

_That was kinda fun._ He thought naively, and I fought the urge to shake my head.

I heard Bella whimper from behind me. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, and turned with exaggerated slowness, to the wide eyed beauty pressed up against the wall.

Her hands were shaking, her knuckles were white with the pressure she had been holding the rock with, and blood was running down the arm that she had cut. How she must fear me, having seen me rip a creature to shreds, having seen me as what I truly am.

"Bella, love," I whispered, taking a step toward her. She went rigid. I held my hands up, allowing her to see that I came peacefully, that she needn't be afraid. "Bella, can you drop the rock, please? Carefully, don't hurt yourself."

It took a minute, but she slowly opened each finger one by one, and dropped the rock, it landed on the hard ground with a _clunk_. I took another step, my hands still raised, her face had not changed, her eyes still held the same fear in them, watering over like glass.

"You don't have to be afraid, Bella. You're safe, I won't hurt you." She didn't move a centimeter. "It's going to be all right, Bella, I know you're frightened now, but it's over. No one is going to hurt you," Ever, not Victoria, not an army of new borns, nor I. "I won't touch you, I won't hurt you." I vowed to her, taking another small step. Her jaw clenched, and then unlocked, she blinked several times, sending a single tear running down her face. Her voice was trembling, cracked as soon as she opened her perfect O shaped mouth, but she managed to speak,

"Why do you keep saying that?" she sounded perfectly fine as soon as she got past the first syllable, But her question confused me. Hadn't she been frightened, scared to death of me, and that was why she hadn't dropped the rock, why she hadn't moved, why she'd been trembling.

"Are you… Aren't you afraid of me?" I spoke slowly, pronouncing each worth with precision.

Her face became more shocked than it had before, if that was possible. Her eyes widened and her head cocked to the side.

"Afraid of you? _Why?"_ she took her first stepped, following her second step too quickly, dragging it too far so that it hit the back of her foot. She stumbled and began to fall. In a flash, I had her in my arms, secure and safe. She hid her face into my shirt, her hands resting against my chest, and began to let the tears flow freely and noisily down her face.

"Bella, Bella, I'm so sorry. It's over, it's over." I chanted to her, whispering words of confidence in her ear, with my face hidden her in waves of soft hair. She clenched my shirt in her fragile fist, and I could see by just looking at it, that her knuckles were broken once again.

"I'm fine," she finally surfaced for air, "I'm okay, I'm just… Freaking… out. Give me. A… minute." She sucked in a breath, holding it, as if that would stop her from crying. She shouldn't have to hold it in.

"I'm so sorry," I tightened my hold on her, pulling her tighter into my chest, feeling her warmth as it spread through me, all the way to the tips of my fingers that brushed away the stray tears.

With a sudden fire in her expression, she grasped my neck and began kissing me. My face and my chest, my neck and my hands, my nose and my biceps. "Are…" kiss on my neck. "You…" kiss on my palm. "Oh…" kiss on my nose. "Kay?" kiss on my stone lips.

"I'm absolutely fine," I buried my face in her hair. She was safe, she was fine, nothing was coming for her. We were absolutely, in her immortal words, _fine._


End file.
